Over half of respondents with a preference chose Yellow Cab for service due to response time
San Diego – The results of the 2009 Taxicab Passenger Survey are in. The survey was commissioned by the Metropolitan Transit System and conducted by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and True North Research, Inc. The survey of passengers is designed to assist MTS in its role in regulating the taxicab industry.
The survey gathered objective performance data; profiled passenger characteristics; assessed trip characteristics, availability of alternative forms of transportation and time of trip; as well as provides subjective performance measures from the passenger’s perspective.
The findings show that passengers are concerned about response time and convenience when using a taxicab, and would like unified fares. The most common destinations for taxicab use are the airport, hotels and recreation.
A full report of the survey is available at www.sdmts.com. Primary findings include:
• Two-thirds of taxicab trips covered a distance of less than 5 miles; however less than 7 percent of taxicab trips lasted less than five miles.
• Seventy-two percent of residents rated taxi service overall as good. The most favorable assessments were with respect to taxi availability during the day, with a 81 percent good rating, driver courtesy received a 75 percent good rating, and 75 percent people rated promptness of service as good.
• Lower scores for service included a 40 percent good rating by residents regarding taxi fares, a 59 percent rating as good for taxi availability, and a 65 percent rating of good for driver knowledge.
• Of the San Diego County resident passengers surveyed, 44 percent said they did have access to a personal vehicle for the trip they were taking by taxi; 56 percent said a personal vehicle was not an option.
• The average fare for taxicab trips surveyed was $14.79. Almost half, or 49 percent, of all taxi trips resulted in a fare of less than $12. Thirty-one percent had a fare between $12 and $19.99, and 21 percent of fares were more than $20.
• Three-quarters of passengers expressed a preference for rates being the same in all areas of the city, as opposed to varying by area of the city.
• The total number of taxicab trips per year that originate in the City of San Diego is 3,691,493—including the 779,749 trips that originate at the San Diego International Airport.
Passengers were surveyed as they rode in the vehicle from May 4 to June 27 last year. True North staff offered self-administered surveys to taxicab passengers while riding. San Diego residents and visitors to the area were provided separate surveys. Both English and Spanish surveys were available.
The Metropolitan Transit System licenses and regulates taxicabs, jitneys and other private-for-hire passenger transportation services by contract with the cities of San Diego, El Cajon, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Poway and Santee. MTS operates a 54.3-mile light rail transit network, 95 fixed bus routes, and ADA Complementary Public Paratransit Service in the San Diego region. In FY09 it set a system record by carrying more than 91 million passengers.
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